As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.

My friend Megan makes this for me all the time and tells me that 'ladies of the night' used to make this for their 'John's'. I was wondering, is there any truth to that? It's an awesome easy dish either way.

'If you never open doors to let anyone in, no one can get in, but neither can you get out.'

Is it just me or has Puttanesca gained even great popularity of late in the US. I grew up in a very Italian household, with very traditional southern Italian cooking, yet I had never heard of it before. Seems like these days its on the TV , in the movies , and all over our Grocery Shelves. I wonder why?

It always was a popular quick fix dinner for people on the run and can be altered with "stuff". It has always been around but now is popular because people are more lazy and rely on prepared foodstuffs and have no knowledge of the culinary arts...in effect being what the plate suggests ....lazy whores. Peter

stuffed shells is a meal and since you are an artist of sorts use olive oil and garlic and steam vegetable with them, make sauce, cook pease, lentils and beans with them and VIOLA! your cooking. Always sautee and never burn anything. Peter

I made a spinach salad instead with dried cranberries and feta cheese.. There I go again being lazy with cooking.. (we really need new emoticons there are great ones at my other site that would have been much more appropriate for my self effacing humor)

'If you never open doors to let anyone in, no one can get in, but neither can you get out.'